When the genesis of evil is evil how it endings could not be evil? The recent concordance- Malakand deal has indubitably proved Pakistan government incompetence to tackle the Taliban reign of terror and the plausible threat to the very existence of the country. India’s notorious brother Pakistan nurtured Taliban by arming and training them. The country provided benevolent fund to base-root their terror strike and laid them moral and diplomatic support. But now the friend (Taliban) has stabbed a friend (Pakistan) and threatens to subjugate its very existence.
With no way out, In February this year, beleaguered Pakistan government signed a ‘peace deal’ with the Taliban, the deal had in-turned empowered the latter to impose Sharia (Islamic Law) in the Swat and Malakand district in Pakistan tribal badlands. The deal was signed between the government of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Sufi Mohammed, the spiritual leader of the Tehrik-e-Nifaz-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM).
Malakand agreement witnessed a paradigm shift of power from the Pakistan government to Taliban militants. The deal formulated in a 15-point, inscribed, Sharia Law would be imposed in the Swat Valley and Malakand district. The Pakistan government would withdraw security forces from the region and both the side would exchange prisoners. The Taliban would halt attacks on barber and music shops. The clause that brought some respite was the Taliban cannot display arms in public and cannot operate any training camp and would denounce suicidal attack. But the ‘patrimony’ of the clauses was impugned.
The birth of Taliban as a strategic alliance with devious ISI during the soviet occupation of Afghanistan (1979-1989), the civil war between the Red army and Islamists saw a continued vendetta for control of Kabul. While powerful warlords like Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Ahmed Massoud fought for control of power while other warlords only eked-out miseries of hapless Afgans. They levied heft taxes of those using the road in the area.
In 1994, a significant development took place when the warlords held a convoy that belonged to a wealthy Pakistani in north of Kandahar to ransom. It was then the high time that the Pakistani government, who was that time also inefficient like today could not plunged into the matter directly, directed ISI to extend help to radical Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam (JUI). JUI, who ran millions of Islamic Seminaries for Afgan students (who were mostly the victims of Soviet war in 1979) organized a local militia named Taliban connoting student, fought against warlords and won. The Taliban was then welcomed by locals as they perceived it to be honest and religious. As a child, baby Taliban never imposed its ultra orthodox Islamic code, albeit, it gained international ballyhoo.
Untill 1996, it gained 90% of the countries territory and Pakistan sheltered and encouraged the notorious and inhumane prolific baby- the Taliban. Pakistan nurtured Taliban because the baby would help him to gain its cause: to end ‘two-border squeeze’ from India and Afghanistan. The handy and comfortable ally of Taliban and foremost terrorist group Al-Qaeda has carried out countless terror attacks against the West, especially against the US and government in pro-west Muslims nation. But as the ambition of Taliban and Al-Qaeda to form a complete Muslim country that could be set as an ideal for other countries swept, it even tried to engulf its mother-Pakistan, demanding promising a Sharia based justice system. In 2001, the Taliban proclaimed all-out war against the state when it hasn’t met Taliban’s demand.
The Taliban farcical quest to impose Sharia Law over the state hinges on banditry, discrimination, inhumane law, exploitation of human rights and women and child heist.
The recent concordance only served to reinforce the long held belief that the Pakistan government lacks political will to take on such ultra radical terror group. Though Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, extols the deal quoting it as a part of “three Ds’ strategy of dialogue, development and deterrence’. Summing more to belie to the fake laud Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari asserted, ‘the deal is a part of government strategy to counter-insurgency and will help in restoration of peace’ but the crux behind the bent down is obvious and clear. Zardari once stated ‘The Taliban militants has captured a substantial area of land in Pakistan and the government is fighting for the survival of the country…we are aware that the Taliban is trying to take over the state of Pakistan…so we are fighting for the survival of Pakistan…It has been happening over time and it’s happened out of denial…Everybody was living in a denial…”
Though Pakistan had no other alternative but to reconcile with the Taliban, still the major question glaring in front of the whole world is -‘Today it is Swat and Malakand tomorrow it could be any other place… And when, we Indians also know that Swat is just 150 miles away from Amritsar. Then who far it is justified to keep mum and can be mute spectators of injustice? We still haven’t forgotten the blood stain of our dear ones whom we lost during 26/11 massacre. And secondly, how can the termination of evil be by good mode?
